Vanillekipferl

I will try to post more cookie recipes this week as I am getting into the spirit now. It is snowing outside and the Christmas lights are on everywhere. Vanillekipferl is another classic German cookie recipe and my absolute favourite! It is basically a crumbly almond short crust pastry in the shape of a crescent and dusted with vanilla icing sugar. They keep well in a cookie tin and get actually better over time.

VANILLEKIPFERL

125g sugar
200g butter
250g flour
200g ground almonds
3 egg yolks
2 Tbsp vanilla sugar
pinch of salt

7-8 Tbsp caster sugar
7-8 Tbsp icing sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla sugar

In a bowl sift the flour and add the ground almonds, sugar, vanilla sugar, salt and the egg yolks. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add. MIx all ingredients together and knead the dough until all ingredients are blended but be careful not too over-work it. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for half an hour. Preheat the oven to 200°. Line a baking tray with grease proof paper and shape your cookies to little crescents, then bake for about 10 min depending on the size. Let them cool for a bit. Mix the caster sugar, icing sugar and the vanilla sugar in a bowl and roll the hand warm cookies in the mixture so they will be coated evenly.

Spritzgebaeck

This is a classic German cookie recipe that would usually be passed through a meat grinder with a special attachment for cookies. In lack of such we tried a piping bag instead but the dough is very dense and it just wouldn't work... Anyhow, we decided to just roll mini sausages and then do all sorts of shapes. Tastes equally nice ; ) Here's the recipe:

SPRITZGEBÄCK

250g unsalted butter
180g icing sugar
3 egg yolks
125g ground hazelnuts
375g flour
1 lemon
1 pinch of salt
100g dark chocolate

In a bowl sift the flour and icing sugar. Add the hazelnuts, the zest of 1 lemon and the egg yolks. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add. MIx all ingredients together and knead the dough until all ingredients are blended but be careful not too over-work it. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for half an hour. Preheat the oven to 175°-200°. Line a baking tray with grease proof paper and shape your cookies, then bake for about 10-15 min. When cooled down dip one end in melted chocolate.

Colour lovers: smooth caramel

This is a slightly lighter version of the salted caramel one. Think caramel and cream toffees, meringue, toasted marshmallows and crème brûlée. Check out the palette at colourlovers

Chestnuts

Chestnuts are in season now and great in sweet or savoury dishes, roasted or cooked. Try it in a mushroom risotto or a Mont Blanc dessert.

Plum frangipane tart

This is a classic French almond tart and the perfect birthday cake for my friend Fleur. Happy Birthday again!

PLUM FRANGIPANE TART

sweet pastry base
150g ground almond
150g butter
150g granulated sugar
50g flour
2 eggs
4-6 tbsp amaretto
vanilla pod
8-10 plums

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees and blind bake the sweet pastry base. Beat the butter with a hand mixer and add the ground almonds and sugar until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time and the amaretto. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and fold in. Spread the frangipane on the base. Cut the plums in slices and arrange in circles. Bake for about an hour.

Orange semolina cake

ORANGE SEMOLINA CAKE

grated zest of 1 orange
100g caster sugar
50ml vegetable oil
3 large eggs
5 tbsp milk
3 tbsp orange flower water
225g semolina
3 tsp baking powder
115g ground almonds
for the syrup
1 orange
375 ml water
250g caster sugar
2 tbsp orange flower water

Preheat the oven to 175°C. In a saucepan heat the sugar, water and 4 strips of orange peel. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and allow to bubble for 15 min to make a syrup. Let cool down and add juice of the orange and orange flower water. Cut the candied orange peel into small strips and set a side to use as decoration later.
Beat together the sugar, oil and orange zest. Beat in the eggs, followed by the milk and orange flower water. Pour into a baking dish and bake for 20 min until it's golden. Allow to rest for 5-10 min, then cut. Prick the top and slowly pour over the syrup, allow to be soaked up and absorbed into the cake. Decorate with toasted almond slices and the candied orange peel.

Colour lovers: salted caramel

This palette is a tribute to my lovely colleague Lisa who is currently addicted to delicious 70% dark chocolate with sea salt. Hmmmmm...
It's all about contrast in colours (cold and warm) and flavours (sweet and salty). Check out the palette at colourlovers

Pumpkins

Colour lovers: squash and pumpkins

I am still fascinated with the autumnal colours. The colours of the pumpkins and squash that are available in supermarkets and my local farmers market are amazing and inspired this palette: yellow squash, gourd, pumpkin, petit pan and butternut squash. Did you know that even zucchini/courgette is part of the squash family? Check out the palette at colourlovers

Fig and goats cheese tart

This recipe is for 4-6 mini tarts but you can easily make a large tart by doubling the quantities and baking for longer.

MINI FIG AND GOATS CHEESE TARTS

short crust pastry
1 egg
1 tbs sour cream
50gr mild goats cheese
1 shalott
50ml milk
2-3 figs
salt and pepper
fresh thyme

Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Roll out the pastry and blind bake the shells. Let cool for a bit. Combine the egg, sour cream, milk and goats cheese. Finely chop the shalott and the thyme and add to the mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into the pastry shells. Half the figs and place in the centre of the tart. Bake for 15 min or until set and golden in colour.

Apple stilton salad

This salad is a classic combination but the presentation is inspired by a recipe from Donna Hay magazine that I absolutely love for its fantastic photography. A variation of this could be pear and stilton with chicory with the pear sliced similarly to this recipe.

APPLE STILTON SALAD

1 apple per person
handful walnuts
stilton
mixed salad leaves
walnut oil
sherry vinegar
salt and pepper